[06/07/07 - 11:33 AM]Legendary Actor Peter O'Toole Joins the Cast of the TudorsEmmy-(R) and Golden Globe(R)-winner, and eight-time Oscar(R) nominee O'Toole will take on the pivotal role of Pope Paul III.

[via press release from Showtime]

LEGENDARY ACTOR PETER O'TOOLE JOINS THE CAST OF THE TUDORS

O'Toole Dons Pope Paul III's Robes for the Second Season of the Epic, Critically Acclaimed Series

LOS ANGELES (June 7, 2007) � Emmy-� and Golden Globe�-winner, and eight-time Oscar� nominee Peter O'Toole will make his way to Dublin, Ireland to join the cast of THE TUDORS' second season, it was announced today by SHOWTIME's President of Entertainment Robert Greenblatt. O'Toole will take on the pivotal role of Pope Paul III, who is ultimately responsible for excommunicating Henry VIII (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) from the Catholic Church as punishment for the King's dalliances with Anne Boleyn (Natalie Dormer). Hailed by critics and audiences alike, THE TUDORS is currently in production in Dublin, and Season Two will premiere on SHOWTIME next spring.

"As an Irishman, I am delighted to be working on an Irish production, filming in Ireland," says Mr. O'Toole. "We're honored to have Peter O'Toole take on this wonderful part," echoes series Executive Producer Morgan O'Sullivan. "We look forward to welcoming him home for THE TUDORS' second season."

While O'Toole is possibly best known for his Oscar�-nominated work in the title role of David Lean's sweeping epic Lawrence of Arabia (1962), he made cinematic history by being only one of four actors to earn Best Actor Oscar� nominations for playing the same role in two different films: he played Henry II in Becket (1964), and opposite Katharine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter (1968). He has earned a total of eight Oscar� nominations, most recently for his work in last year's indie drama Venus. In 2003, he was awarded a special Lifetime Achievement Oscar�.

In the first season finale of THE TUDORS, Henry and Anne's passionate affair has reached a fevered pique and Henry's obsession with making her his queen has grown all-consuming. As Season Two begins, Henry's desires are thwarted by the Church, an obstacle that makes him even more determined to separate Parliament from Church. After Henry secretly marries Anne and has his marriage to Katherine (Maria Doyle Kennedy) declared invalid, Pope Paul III (O'Toole) moves to excommunicate Henry and the two have an on-going feud with a fall-out that has repercussions in England to this day.

THE TUDORS is a presentation of SHOWTIME, in association with Peace Arch Entertainment. Series creator and scribe Michael Hirst (ELIZABETH) executive produces, alongside Benjamin Silverman and Teri Weinberg of Reveille; Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan of Working Title Films; Sheila Hockin of Dufferin Gate Productions; and Morgan O'Sullivan of World 2000. Gary Howsam and James Flynn of Peace Arch Entertainment serve as producers. THE TUDORS is an Ireland/Canada Co-Production.

About Showtime Networks Inc.

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME�, THE MOVIE CHANNEL� and FLIX�, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME� TOO�, SHOWTIME� SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME�, SHOWTIME BEYOND�, SHOWTIME NEXT�, SHOWTIME WOMEN�, SHOWTIME FAMILYZONE� and TMC XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD�, THE MOVIE CHANNEL HD�, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND� and THE MOVIE CHANNEL ON DEMAND�. SNI is also an owner and manager of SUNDANCE CHANNEL, a venture of NBC Universal, Robert Redford and SNI. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment.